Hitler's diaries, the Cardiff giant: Treasures that fooled the world

For a long time, numerous treasures have captivated the minds of historians, treasure seekers, common man etc. However, there are a few treasures that have proven to be fake. These treasures that fooled people included Hitler's diaries, Egyptian mummies, terracotta sculptures etc.

Treasures that fooled the world

The Cardiff Giant

The Cardiff Giant was discovered by two people on the William Newell farm located in the Cardiff area of New York in 1869. According to reports, the 10-foot was described as the remains of a man who most probably was a predecessor of the Onondaga people.

The 'hoax' discovery prompted people from different parts of the world to come, pay 50 cents and have a look at the figure. A few months after the discovery, William Newell's cousin, George Hull said that the figure was not real, adding that he along with Newell had created the myth to tell people about the relationship between faith and science.

Etruscan warriors

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York in the year 1933 showcased three Terracotta figures of Etruscan warriors. According to reports, the tallest sculpture out of the three was 8-feet tall.

The sculptures were thought to be from the 5th century BC. The terracotta figures remained on display for a period of approximately 28 years. However, people began to question the authenticity of the figures based on factors such as lack of vent holes that saw the figures crack.

In the year 1961, Alfredo Fioravanti accepted making the fake sculptures with his brothers Teodoro, Riccardo, Angelino and Virgilio.

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Hitler's diaries

A German magazine Stern in the year 1983 went on to say that one of their reporters Gerd Heidemann had found dictator Adolf Hitler's diaries. According to reports, these diaries included entries about Hitler's most personal details.

Stern bought the diaries for Deutsche marks(the official currency of West Germany from 1948 until 1990 and later unified Germany from 1990 until 2002). Later on, the diaries were said to be written by antique dealer Konrad Kujau.

Egyptian styled mummy

In the year 2001, police officials had apprehended a man to sell an Egyptian styled mummy for a sum of USD 35 million. According to reports, the mummy found in the Baluchistan region was thought to be 2,600 years old with the remains of a Persian princess.

The mummy was initially taken to the National Museum in Karachi. However, experts after a series of tests determined that the mummified remains were of a 21-year-old girl who had been murdered, possibly a few years before the tests.

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(With inputs from agencies)